Car-coupling



2 N A 0 C D... S

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 260,941. Patented July 11, 1882.. V

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S. P. (JOAN.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 260,941. Y Patented' July 11, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAN'IFORD P. COAN, OF MEDICINE LODGE, KANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters Patent No. 260,941, dated July11, 1882.

' Application tiled April 15, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, SANTEORD P. Conn, of Medicine Lodge, in the count-yof Barbour and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oar Coupliugs; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomakeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is aperspective view ofr the t'ront end of a box-car provided with myimproved' car-coupling. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the draw-head.Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofthe two draw-heads coupled. Fig-5 is a perspective detail view of thestirrnp device for adjusting the elevation of the draw-bar anddraw-head. Fig. 6 is a sectional view ot' the same, showing the draw-barinserted through the stirrup. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of mycombined latch and link and Fig. S is a top view, showing theapplication of the latter to the draw-head.

Similar letters ot reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention has relation to automatic cnrcouplings or so-calledself-couplers, and it consists in the improvements which will behereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying two sheets ot' drawings, A represents the frontend-of a box-car provided with my improved automatic coupling.

B B are the bumpers or buffers/7 to one or both of which I aiiix ablock, C, which is secured at the outer end of an arm, D, that in turnis fastened to a rod, E, that works in staples or keepers e aand has ahandle, E', at its upper end. By turning this handle arm D, with itsblock U, may be swung to one side out of the way, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. l; or the same may be done from either side ofthe carbymeans of a rod, F, which is pivoted upon a stud or pin, d, on arm D, andextends to'opposite sides of the car. It desired, springs may beemployed to retain block G in either of its positions, so that whenswung into place in front of the buffer-beam it will not swing outaccidentally, or vice versa; or other means may be employed to effectthe same result. The swinging block C, it' made of wood, should be shodor faced with iron, and provided with a rubber cushion to takeup theshoek'when the cars come together. When swung into place in front of thebuffer-beam it will prevent coupling of the cars by preventing thedraw-heads from engaging with one another. A

Each of the draw-heads Gr is cast with a projecting hook, g, and arecess, H, extending I '14. Thus it will be seen that tbe piece composedof the parts I, I', I2, I3, and I4 (which, for the sake of brevity, Ishall denominate simply part I 7) is hingedin the top part of thedraw-head, and actuated by the spring K, which keeps it down upon thedraw-head Hush with its top. Part I is provided with a forwardlyprojecting curved arm, L, and a laterally-projecting arm or linger, M,and the play ot the part is limited or controlled by a stirrup orkeeper, N, which spans the drawhead.

In coupling the draw-beads, the hook G of one will enter the recess H ofthe other, the beveled 4head ot' the hook, as it strikes cross-bar I4,raising part I until the hook slips under the bar, when spring K willforce bar I4 down into the notch of the hook. The projecting curved armL of one of the parts, l, striking the latterally-projecting finger Mot' the draw-head opposite, operates in like manner as the beveledhook-viz., raising part I so as to permit the hook to enter its recessfreely.

To uncouple the cars (which may be done either from the roof or from thesides of either car) -the parts I are disengaged from their respectivehooks g, with vwhich they are inter- IOO locked, by a rod or chain, O,the upper end ot' which connects with an arm, p, projecting from a rod,P, having levers or handles P P at its ends. Another rod, Q, extendsfrom arm p up to the roof of the car.

Ifit is desired to use this draw-head with couplings of the ordinarjTlink-and-pin 7 description, I use the combined latch and link shown inFigs. 7 and 8, by coupling it with the hook and latch of the draw-head,with its link-shaped end, W, projecting in front ofthe ook, so that itwill enter the mouth of lthe draw-head opposite.

Where my improved draw-head is used withv cars of different height, itselevation may be adjusted by means of the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6.This consists simply of a stirrup, R,throu gh which the draw-barisinserted, and which is cast with a plate or extension R, having twoslots, if ands. Plate R works in a vertical slot in a beam, S, which isbolted upon the front side of the car.

T is a bell-crank, the shaft tot" which passes through the Vertical sloti' of plate R', and has an arm, u, the bent outer end, u', of whichworks in the horizontal slot s. Thus by turning bell-crank T(by means otrods connecting it with the sides and root' of the car,) its bent arm uu' will raise or lower plate R and its stirrup R, and with it thedraw-head.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United Statesl. In a car-coupling, the combinationof a draw-head having the projecting hook g, recess H, and channels a a'a2, hinged part I, provided with the projecting.;` arm L and iin ger M,set at right angles to each other, and spring K, constructed andcombined to operate substantially in the manner and for the purposeherein shown and described.

2. In acar-coupling, the combination, with a hinged draw-bar anddraw-head, of the stirrup It, having plate R', slotted at i' and s,bellcrank T, having shaft t and bent arm u u', and slotted beam orkeeper S, constructed and combined substantially as and for the purposeherein shown and described.

3. The swinging buffer-block C and means for operating the same, incombination with the butter-beam and draw-head of a railwaycar, arrangedto operate substantially as and for the purpose herein shown andspecified. Y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SANTFORD PETER (JOAN.

' Witnesses: WILLIAM S. WATKrNs, SAMUEL J. SHEPLER.

